Cultural Currency: Contemporary Art from the Riemer Collection presents the innovative ways artists use money as a conceptual idea and medium to explore notions of value and worth beyond declared denominations.

For centuries, the constant exchange of money for goods and services has been core to our daily lives. We rely on monetary transactions, a quintessential human act, to meet our needs and desires - from luxury purchases to essential items like food and shelter. Given this worldwide phenomenon, consumers rarely consider the aesthetic qualities of currency, which range in various colors and sizes, and designed by artists. As artist Ray Beldner aptly points out, U.S. currency is "the world's biggest ongoing print edition. Every bill is unique, and it's numbered uniquely. It's signed by the person that caused it to be made, the Secretary of the Treasury. It's made from archival materials. It's 100 percent cotton. It's beautifully done." In its most basic form, money is art!

Like Beldner, who noted that money is often overlooked for its creative qualities, the artists of Cultural Currency used money as inspiration or a medium by repurposing bills and coins into exquisite artworks. The resulting works address various issues, including race, capitalism, politics, national and cultural identities, and much more. However, it is the psychological toll brought on by monetary rule that is shared by all artists in the show – from humor to desire to desperation – the emotional impact is palpable as money seems to be an abstract, illusive object for many.

Oakland, California-based investment advisers Davis Riemer and Louise Rothman-Riemer know well the personal impact influenced by money, having served as guidance counselors to many throughout their careers. In 1995 they began collecting currency-themed contemporary art inspired by some of the stories they had been told with the goal of encouraging new attitudes toward money’s intrinsic value. As Davis Riemer states, "The point of it all is to provoke thought about why people want and use money and why they want more. Our hope is that people will see these works of art and walk away with questions about themselves and money." Louise Rothman-Riemer reminds us that money is just paper and coin and that humans instate value, turning it into the ultimate form of conceptual art. Rothman-Riemer states, "Money is not money. It is what people want. It is power, security, the ability to do the things that they want, need, or would like to do. Money is very fungible, and it becomes what people bring to it."

Universally relevant, visually stunning, and at times critical, Cultural Currency asks us to consider how the definition of currency can be reshaped into a multifaceted object steeped in meaning and intrigue.

Cultural Currency is a nationally traveling exhibition organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA. Curatorial Team: Emilee Enders, Curator of Exhibitions and Programs; Alesha Colberg Martinez, Traveling Exhibitions Manager; Erik Mortensen, Lead Preparator; and Erica Schulz, Assistant to the Curator.

Programming

Glengarry Glenn Ross | March 28 | 9 PM | Salina Art Center Cinema

Opening Reception | First Friday, April 4 | 5-7 PM | Salina Art Center

Artists